Regular Season Concludes, Playoffs Begin Wednesday
Published on March 19, 2002 under Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release
Bring It On!
Regular Season Concludes, Playoffs Begin Wednesday
The Central Hockey League's regular season concluded in dramatic fashion this weekend, with six clubs battling for the final three CHL playoff berths. Following weekend action, the Fort Worth Brahmas and Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs have joined division champions Memphis and Oklahoma City in the Northern Conference Semi-Finals, while the El Paso Buzzards join Odessa, Austin and San Antonio in the Southern Conference semifinals.
In the North, the top-seeded Memphis RiverKings will face Fort Worth, while the Oklahoma City Blazers will tangle with Bossier- Shreveport. The Brahmas have had surprisingly good success against Memphis this season, posting a 3-1-2 mark in head-to-head action, but the RiverKings do have the highest scoring team in the League this season, averaging 4.17 goals per game behind CHL Most Valuable Player Don Parsons. Oklahoma City and Bossier-Shreveport will meet in the other Northern Conference semi-final, pitting last season's CHL champion Blazers against the three-time defending WPHL champion Mudbugs. In four head to head meetings, each club has successfully defended their home ice with a pair of wins.
In the Southern Conference, two of the CHL's hottest teams will square off in one semi-final, as the Odessa Jackalopes and El Paso Buzzards meet. Both teams have won nine of their last 10 games, and meet for the second consecutive year in the post-season. Odessa claimed the CHL's regular season crown by posting a 100-point season, and claimed wins in seven of 11 contests against El Paso. The other Southern Conference semi-final pits Southeast Division rivals Austin and San Antonio, who battled to the final weekend for the division championship. Austin earned wins in seven of ten meetings this season, but three victories came in shootouts, which won't be utilized in the playoffs.
The first round of the President's Cup Playoffs features a best-of- five games format, while the Conference Finals and President's Cup Finals will be best-of-seven game series. Wednesday, a complete first round playoff preview will be issued, detailing each of the four first round matchups.
CHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE â 1ST ROUND
Northern Conference Semi-Finals
Series "A" - Memphis vs Fort Worth
# Date Visitor Home Time
A1 03/21/02 Fort Worth Memphis 7:05 PM
A2 03/22/02 Fort Worth Memphis 7:05 PM
A3 03/23/02 Memphis Fort Worth 7:05 PM
A4* 03/26/02 Memphis Fort Worth 7:05 PM
A5* 03/28/02 Fort Worth Memphis 7:05 PM
Series "B" - Oklahoma City vs Bossier-Shreveport
# Date Visitor Home Time
B1 03/20/02 Bossier-Shreveport Oklahoma City 7:35 PM
B2 03/22/02 Bossier-Shreveport Oklahoma City 7:35 PM
B3 03/23/02 Oklahoma City Bossier-Shreveport 7:05 PM
B4* 03/24/02 Oklahoma City Bossier-Shreveport 5:05 PM
B5* 03/27/02 Bossier-Shreveport Oklahoma City 7:35 PM
Southern Conference Semi-Finals
Series "C" - Odessa vs El Paso
# Date Visitor Home Time
C1 03/22/02 El Paso Odessa 7:00 PM
C2 03/23/02 El Paso Odessa 7:00 PM
C3 03/29/02 Odessa El Paso 7:05 PM
C4* 03/30/02 Odessa El Paso 7:05 PM
C5* 04/02/02 El Paso Odessa 7:00 PM
Series "D" - San Antonio vs Austin
# Date Visitor Home Time
D1 03/22/02 Austin San Antonio 7:20 PM
D2 03/23/02 San Antonio Austin 7:30 PM
D3 03/29/02 San Antonio Austin 7:30 PM
D4* 03/30/02 Austin San Antonio 7:05 PM
D5* 03/31/02 San Antonio Austin 3:00 PM
CHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jason Campbell - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
#: 11
HT: 5-10
WT: 170
D.O.B.: 06/21/75
Campbell led the Mudbugs to wins in three of four contests to qualify for the CHL post-season, and scored 10 points in the process. Campbell had back to back four-point outings in wins over Wichita and Indianapolis. The Ontario native finished the season on a six game scoring streak.
GP: 4
G: 5
A: 5
PTS: 10
CHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Bobby DaCosta - Memphis RiverKings
#: 1
HT: 6-0
WT: 175
D.O.B.: 10/08/76
DaCosta finished the regular season with consecutive fine performances, allowing a total of four goals against in a pair of RiverKings' victories. He stopped 54 of 56 shots, including an overtime penalty shot, in a 3-2 shootout win at Indianapolis, then made 32 saves in a 7-2 home win over Tulsa two days later.
GP: 2 MIN: 125:00
GA: 4 SAVE %: .956
Wins: 2 Losses: 0
SOL: 0 ShutOuts: 0
Central Hockey League Stories from March 19, 2002
- Regular Season Concludes, Playoffs Begin Wednesday - CHL
- BRAHMAS WEEKLY - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Cotton Kings Final Weekly Release for 01-02 Season - Lubbock Cotton Kings
- ICE CLOSES OUT DIFFICULT SEASON ON A WINNING NOTE - Indianapolis Ice
- Parsons Named CHL Most Valuable Player - CHL
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